Herbed Chicken Burgers Recipe

Name: Herb Chicken Burgers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: For the lemon mayo; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped (optional); For the chicken burger; 1 pound ground chicken; 1 large egg; 1 cup breadcrumbs, divided; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; To serve; 4 brioche buns; 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced; 1/2 red onion, sliced; 1 medium tomato, sliced

Overhead view of three plates with ingredients for chicken and herb burgers. — Nick Evans

Fire Up the Grill (or Stove) And Make These Delicious Burger Recipes

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If you want to change up your burger offerings this summer look no further than this Herbed Chicken Burger! These patties are packed with flavor and stay super-juicy thanks to a few little tricks I like to use when grilling lean meat.

Top the burgers any way you like, but this recipe calls for a few slices of tomato, red onion, and avocado along with a bright lemon chive mayo. The sauce is an easy way to add another layer of flavor to these already sensational burgers.

How to Make a Juicy Burger with Ground Chicken

Ground chicken is one of the leanest meats available. That’s good news if you are looking for a lighter burger, but it can lead to a dry patty if you don’t keep a few things in mind.

Lack of fat in chicken and overcooking are the two main reasons why people end up with a ho-hum chicken burger, but we can solve for both of those. With a couple of added ingredients and a handy kitchen tool it is possible to grill and enjoy a juicy chicken burger.

Use breadcrumbs and an egg to help retain moisture and give it that juicy burger texture.
Prevent over cooking by using a quick read instant thermometer.

An instant read thermometer will make sure the burgers reach a safe 165˚F in the center of the burger so you know for certain you’ve cooked them long enough to be safe and not a minute more.

Here are the best grilling thermometers of 2021 if you’re in the market for one!

Side view of a herbed chicken burger with lemon mayo — Nick Evans

How to Shape Chicken Patties

Shaping these patties will seem impossible when you mix together all the burger ingredients. The egg adds a lot of moisture to the mixture, and it will seem too sticky to shape. But have no fear!

Spread out some extra breadcrumbs onto a plate and add your burgers to the breadcrumbs. Coat the patties with the breadcrumbs and then you can shape them without the meat sticking to your hands.

Shape the patties into about 1/2-inch thick patties. Don’t worry about doing the dimple trick that is popular with beef burgers. Chicken burgers won’t shrink as much because they have so little fat in them. They will hold whatever shape you put them in on the grill.

Tips for Grilling Chicken Burgers

Grilling chicken burgers is a bit different than beef burgers. Here are some tips.

The BIGGEST takeaway for grilling chicken burgers is to not overcook them, as mentioned already!
I recommend using a pretty high heat grill for these and rubbing the grill with some oil before grilling the burgers. This keeps them from sticking and ensures that you get a nice crust and some grill marks on the burgers. Flip them once halfway through cooking.
They should take 7-8 minutes to cook, but I might check them starting as early as six minutes. If yours are thinner or your grill is super-hot, your burgers might be done after six minutes. They cook faster than you would think!

Overhead view of a herbed chicken burgers with lemon mayo. — Nick Evans

Chicken Burger Toppings

I like to keep the toppings classic for these, with red onions, tomatoes, and sliced avocado. Avocado adds some much needed fat to the burger, and it gets finished off with a lemon mayo that adds some brightness to the burger.

Beyond those toppings, feel free to go wild! Almost any vegetable, sliced like tomato, onion, or cucumbers would work well on these. Of course, you could also add some cheese as well (a mild cheese like mozzarella would be good), but I think the mayo is enough dairy for these slightly healthier burgers.

Overhead view of a platter of herbed chicken burgers with lemon mayo. — Nick Evans

What to Serve with Chicken Burgers

You could serve these burgers with fries or tater tots! Personally, I like a big crunchy salad with my chicken burgers. And don’t forget an ice-cold glass of lemonade.

Need More Healthy Burger Recipes?

Herb Chicken Burgers

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 servings

Yield 4 burgers

For the lemon mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

For the chicken burger

1 pound ground chicken
1 large egg
1 cup breadcrumbs, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

To serve

4 brioche buns
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced

Make the lemon mayo:

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and chives. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and set aside until you are ready to assemble your burgers.
Mix together chicken burger ingredients:

In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, ½ cup breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.

To form patties, pour out the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate.

Nick Evans

Nick Evans
Form the chicken patties:

Divide the chicken mixture into four even balls. Place one chicken ball at a time onto the plate of breadcrumbs.

Lightly press the chicken ball into the breadcrumbs on both sides to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Repeat until all the balls are coated.

Shape each ball into about a 1/2-inch patty and repeat with the remaining chicken balls until all of the burgers are formed.

Nick Evans
Preheat the grill and add oil:

Preheat the grill for direct heat grilling, by turning gas burners to medium-high or spreading charcoal coals so there is direct heat under the grilling grates. The temperature should be 450-500˚F.

To make sure the burgers do not stick, dip a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels in oil and use tongs to quickly rub down grill grates. Alternatively, you can spray the grates with spray oil, but be careful of flare-ups.
Grill the chicken burgers:

Grill the chicken burgers, about 4 minutes per side or until they reach at least 165˚F in the center of the burgers using a thermometer.

Flip the burgers with a metal spatula, halfway through cooking, to help release any stuck burger pieces. The burgers will be done when they have excellent grill marks on both sides and are firm to pressure if you poke them.

Try not to overcook the burgers too much as they can dry out.

Nick Evans
Grill the buns:

Grill the plain buns for 20 seconds and remove from the grill.
Assemble the burgers:

Add a few pieces of sliced avocado to the bottom bun. Top it with the grilled chicken burger, followed by sliced red onion, tomato slices, and a drizzle of the lemon mayo. Serve immediately.

Nick Evans
How to store and reheat leftovers:

Leftover chicken burgers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. They reheat really well in the microwave on high for 1 minute.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
896	Calories
56g	Fat
62g	Carbs
41g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	896
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 56g	71%
Saturated Fat 12g	60%
Cholesterol 207mg	69%
Sodium 1006mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	23%
Dietary Fiber 10g	36%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 17mg	85%
Calcium 180mg	14%
Iron 6mg	31%
Potassium 1523mg	32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.